Our Aberdare Office is having a ‘Spruce Up’!

All buildings need maintenance from time to time, and thanks to a contribution from the Local Authority in the form of a Town Centre Maintenance Grant, our Aberdare office building is having a bit of a ‘spruce up’ this Summer.

Our main office is located in a prominent position in Aberdare within the town centre Conservation Area. The building (No.3 Victoria Square) was built around 1845, as part of a new formal development to one side of Commercial Place (now Victoria Square) on land owned by the Marquess of Bute. The whole row was deliberately designed as a curve (St Elvan’s Church which opened in 1852 sits behind), with shops at ground level and spacious living quarters for the shopkeepers and their families above. The buildings had typical shopfronts, symmetrical windows, huge chimneys and other features of the time. No. 3 has had many incarnations and uses over the years, including being the main Post Office and, most recently being the Coroner’s office, until we bought it in 2011.

As part of our maintenance work, the traditional lettering on the side of the building is being repainted. This lettering is applied directly onto the wall, using time-honoured signwriting skills, to recreate the style of advertising signage which was common on the walls of commercial buildings in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In fact, one drawing dated 1865 in the Aberdare Library Archive, shows our building with signage in this position advertising the Post Office and Morris the Printer.

We are very proud to be part of the commercial life of Aberdare and to do our ‘bit’ to help the town centre. We believe that in order for a town to maintain its identity and continue to prosper, it is vital to preserve its built heritage.

Unfortunately, Aberdare once “The Queen of the Valleys”, has lost many of its beautiful old buildings recently and many of its Listed (and therefore, supposedly protected) buildings continue to be neglected and abused. This is to the community’s detriment, as looking after our heritage enriches our surroundings and benefits us all. It really is no coincidence that places that have strongly preserved their built heritage and ‘uniqueness’ over the years have thrived. This has been proved time and again. Just consider – would places like Bath or Aberaeron be what they are today if nobody had treasured their Georgian buildings when times were tough?

We hope that by caring for our own building and keeping it looking good, we can encourage others to do the same. Collectively we can make a difference, and hopefully local consumers will appreciate their town centre more.

With many thanks to RCTCBC, Marc Hare – Traditional Painter (Telephone: 07539 589172, Email: marcjhare@yahoo.co.uk), and our neighbours for their kind permission to erect scaffolding in their garden.